Twenty Five Races Ch 02

Gold Fever, Twenty-Five Races Part Two

***

A while ago, I was stuck in the middle of my very first story, "This is not a Love Story." It is a multi-part novel and includes Loving Wives' favorite themes like cheating and cuckolding with full character development.

As a diversion, I wrote the story "Twenty-Five Races" (https://www.literotica.com/s/twenty-five-races) as a tribute to celebrate twenty-five years of Literotica. It was supposed to be a quick and fun story.

However, Loving Wives readers found the story lacking an ending. So, I've come up with this second, third, and final part.

A big thank you to Jujuma for her editing work, she made this story so much better.

Here we go.

***

"Or that new ice speed skating girl, what's her name?"

"You mean that Ellen girl?"

It was Thursday evening in Hamar, Norway, where we were for the World Cup ice speed skating. My team leader, Remco, called me from my room, "Ellen, you've got to watch this!"

The television showed a popular Dutch talk show, 'Today's News.'

The show setup is the same every night, with one host and two co-hosts. The most discussed topics are news, politics, television, and sports. Both co-hosts are former professional soccer players.

"Did you know they give her a little push right before the start of the race?"

"With push, you mean a little fun, a quickie?"

A round of laughter followed from the audience.

Laughing, "Yes, shortly before the race, she gets some."

They showed my picture, and obviously, they were talking about me. My world was coming crushing down.

The host asked, "Who is the lucky guy? Does she have a boyfriend? Or is it a team effort?"

More laughter followed, and the audience loved it.

Co-host one responded quickly, "Look at her. Do you think one guy would be enough?"

Co-host two, "Definitely a team effort."

The audience was cheering.

"Does she skate faster when she gets laid?"

More laughter from the audience.

Co-host two, grinning, "Some natural doping. It seems due to the endorphins, she can endure more pain during the race."

It was pure horror. On the most popular daily talk show, the hosts were discussing me having sex just before a race.

My team leader looked at me with a face full of pain and pity.

The co-hosts were already discussing the next subject when the host interjected, "We have an email from a guy claiming to be her boyfriend, asking for proof."

Co-host two responded, "Tell me, why isn't he in Hamar giving her a little pre-race pep talk?"

He air quoted 'pep talk.'

The audience roared.

My team leader was already on the phone, and team managers went immediately into damage control mode.

I heard him saying, "Eric, we're in the most important part of the season. Let it go. We can talk after the World Championship in two weeks. Nothing happened."

I could hear Eric didn't buy it.

Other team management members were on their phones with the Dutch Skating Organisation and the Dutch Olympic Committee. Both organizations were trying to find out what was happening.

I sat curled up in a corner, feeling my whole world was crashing down. I needed to call Eric. I wanted to hear his voice and hear we would be okay.

When he answered my call, tears were running down my face. My throat was thick with emotion, and the only thing I could get out was, "Sorry."

I guess that confirmed his suspicions.

***

My name is Ellen, and I am an up-and-coming ice speed skater. This weekend is the World Cup race in Hamar, Norway. My specialty is the 1500-meter distance, about a mile. The 1500 meter is the distance that hurts the most. My speed is almost as high as that of the 500-meter sprinters, but I can maintain this high speed for the whole 1500-meter race until the finish line. Long-distance specialists can't reach my velocity, and sprinters can't keep my velocity until the finish. It makes me the number one title candidate for next year's Olympic Gold.

The typical ice speed skating season starts in November and ends in March with the World Championship. April is a holiday month, and in May, the official training period starts, followed by a summer training trip in Spain for power and endurance.

The World Championship will be in two weeks in Salt Lake City, USA. Next year's Winter Olympics nominations can be earned during that tournament.

***

I met Eric almost a year ago in April. I was a new member of the Dutch national ice speed skating team. Eric was working out at the same gym as I did in Eindhoven. I noticed this cute guy staring at my ass. Thousands of hours of training have turned my ass into my greatest asset, and that day I was wearing tight pants.

We started to talk, clicked, and started dating. On our first date, we went for dinner and a movie. When Eric brought me home, he wanted to kiss me on my cheek and leave. However, I had different plans and pulled him inside my condo. While he waited on the couch, I quickly changed into purple-laced lingerie. His jaw almost hit the floor when I returned to the living room.

His shock was even bigger when I took him to the bedroom, where he saw the open box of condoms on my nightstand. Normally, most guys, when they see the open box of condoms, get the hint it will be a night of fleshly fun, and they just want to fuck me, which suits me fine. I love to be fucked hard. However, Eric looked concerned.

"Eric, I'm a girl with a high sex drive. If you play your cards right, we'll date more often, and you can have me each time. But I don't want you to judge me."

He smiled and surprised me by kissing me tenderly, "Sorry, it's because I like you and I'm not used to this direct approach."

Eric was different than the other guys. He made tender love to me and took care of me that night. In the end, I had to urge him to fuck me hard.

The first time he came in me, he made this cute noise, sounding like, "Oh God."

In the morning, I realized I was falling for Eric. Eric is funny, kind, sociable, and intelligent. He's doing a post-doctorate at Eindhoven University. We continued to date, and he quickly found out that I like to have sex daily. Being a professional athlete with a high sex drive makes me wear him out at times. We don't vary much, and I'm not interested in roleplay or experimenting. I just like to have a lot of sex. It took a couple of weeks for him to get the hang of it.

***

At the end of May, my team leader informed me about the upcoming training stage in Spain. Do I want to take someone with me? At that moment, I realized I was in love with Eric, and he was the one I wanted to accompany me.

I asked him, "Eric, in June and July, the team has organized summer training in Spain. Partners are allowed to come with us if they pay for themselves. Would you like to come with me?"

He was grinning, "What about my other girlfriends?"

That hurt. We hadn't talked about being exclusive yet, and I had fucked some other guys in the past weeks, but I never thought he might have had other girls.

"Eric, I want us to be exclusive. From now on, no more other girlfriends. What do you think?"

Thank God, he kissed me and took me to bed.

The following week, he arranged with Eindhoven University to accompany me to Spain.

***

The team had arranged an introduction weekend for all team members and partners before going to Spain. This way, everyone got to know all the partners, athletes, and staff. During this weekend, the team leader gave us a set of basic rules and explained why they encourage partners to join them. According to their philosophy, athletes tend to perform better when they feel at ease and having your partner with you contributes to this feeling.

He also explained that they encourage partners to join the training trip in Spain but not during the season at the races. They wanted athletes to focus on the races without distractions.

The training location was in Lanzarote, one of the Canary Islands. The accommodation where we were staying had several bungalows. Our bungalow had two bedrooms and a small living room with a kitchenette. Having two bedrooms was great. While I had occupied the living room and our bedroom with all my training stuff, Eric used the second bedroom as an office to work. It would allow me to rest without Eric bothering me. Training comes with lots of rest.

At first, I was just one of the team members. I was not one of the hot shots who had won an Olympic gold medal. My position gradually shifted during my stay. It became apparent that I could produce more power over a longer time than my teammates.

The power we athletes can produce is expressed in watts. For instance, cyclists have a wattmeter during races to check their limits. This power is provided by talent and combined with hard training.

It also became apparent that I could go deeper and endure more pain than my teammates, which was a bit of a puzzle. The team couldn't put a finger on it.

Eric and I were deeply in love and fucked like rabbits. Some days we fucked in the evening, and other days in the afternoon or morning. Every time I looked at him, butterflies went through my stomach, and he would give me what I needed.

***

In August and September, I stayed in Heerenveen, which is in the north of the Netherlands. Heerenveen has an indoor ice speed skating stadium. Eric stayed behind in Eindhoven and visited me on the weekends, where we had sex at least twice a day. Often, I ravaged him and left him behind in pieces while I went for training. The weekdays were hard for me without Eric at my side.

In October, the Dutch National Olympic Committee started to show interest in my training lap times. The times indicated that I might become the world's fastest ice speed skater on the 1500 meter, making me a strong contender for next year's Olympic gold.

***

The first races in October and early November went below expectations, and I missed Eric terribly. The schedule made it hard for Eric and me to be together. The team discouraged partners from accompanying us to the races across the world, to keep us focused on the races. Besides, Eric had to work on his research. It made our time together limited.

Things came to a head at a World Cup race weekend in Seoul, Korea. My Saturday race was disappointing again, and I was feeling down. I knew I was the world's fastest but didn't perform. On Sunday morning at the hotel breakfast bar, I got cranky and bitchy. My teammate Tim got fed up with my behavior and bitched back, "Jesus. Ellen. You need to get laid more often!"

His remark was totally out of order, and all team members at the breakfast table gasped; the breakfast room got suddenly quiet. I shrieked, panicked, and ran back to my hotel room.

Within minutes, I heard a knock on my hotel room door. It was Remco, my team leader, together with Tim.

Tim started, "Ellen, my sincere apologies. You know I never intended to hurt your feelings. I was out of line by making this comment."

Remco continued, "Ellen, we, as a team, have to take these sexual harassment issues seriously. If you want, you can file a complaint."

I looked at Tim. He's a good guy and used to be one of my regular fuck buddies before I got exclusive with Eric. He looked at me nervously, afraid about what I would do.

"Remco, I won't file a complaint, Tim is right. I miss the intimacy with Eric. My body is aching for sex, and I'm climbing the walls, feeling restless."

Remco looked at me, and I saw him slowly connecting the dots before he asked, "Do you think the lack of sex is affecting your performance? Would your race times be better if you had sex before the race?"

It was the same question I had for some weeks now. Would my race performance be better with Eric around?

However, Remco took a different angle, "Have you already tested this hypothesis? To have sex shortly before the race?"

I looked at him questioningly, "How? Eric is not around?"

"Maybe we can find someone else?"

I was too stunned to respond, but now Tim reacted, shocked, "What? You want her to cheat?"

Remco kept calm, "Look at it this way. You've done everything to prepare. Worked your ass off for years, kept your diet, and missed all kinds of social events. It might be the last piece missing. Consider it as a part of your race preparation."

He waited a moment to let his words sink in, "I know you and Tim hooked up before. Think it over," and left, leaving Tim and me behind in astonishment.

We both sat silently on my bed. My mind was in turmoil. On one shoulder, a devil was telling me I was about to lose everything I had worked so hard for these last years. On my other shoulder was a devil telling me I might lose Eric over this.

It took me a few minutes to decide, "Tim, will you help me? I need to know."

"Ellen, you're sure? Don't you want to think it over? There must be other ways."

"Tim, will you do me now?"

I didn't wait for his answer and walked to the medical bag. Each athlete has one, and condoms are a standard part of the package.

I walked back to him with the condom, "Do me doggy style. It feels less like cheating."

He looked at me when he took the condom, nodded, and started to undress. I put my pants down and climbed on the bed, waiting for him on my knees with my ass up.

My body took over the moment he entered me, and it started to relax and respond to the sex. Tim knows me and what I like. While he was fucking me, I was playing with my clit, and we came almost together.

Tim took a few moments before he pulled out, "Ellen, you're okay?"

I nodded and fell flat down on the bed. Tim kissed me on my forehead, "Let me know if you want to talk," dressed and left. I stayed on the bed, feeling the rush running through my body.

The transfer that afternoon from the hotel to the ice speed skate hall was quiet. My teammates probably suspected what had happened, although I'm sure Tim would be discreet.

In the skate hall, I could already feel the effect the sex had on my body in my first warm-up laps. The rush from earlier this morning was gone, but I felt stronger and more alert.

The starter called us, and I felt at ease, peaceful, and way better than the last races. I could see the fear in the eyes of the girl I was racing. Somehow, my new attitude scared her.

'Ready, set, go!'

My body took over, and as a machine, I skated the race like a pre-programmed robot. I felt like I had been flying.

And I had been flying, crushing the season's best time, smashing my competition, making me the new number one contender for this season.

During my cool down, I got a thumbs up from Remco.

In the evening, I got a short video call from Eric, "Saw your race. Unbelievable! You're the best!"

He could see I was relieved, but I tried to hide my guilt. Due to the time difference, it was still early morning for him, and he didn't seem to notice.

That night, I had a nightmare. I saw Eric slowly walking away from me, and I couldn't get closer to him, although I was skating the fastest I could.

***

Two weeks later, we had World Cup races in Nagano, Japan. Tim did me before the Friday evening race, and before the Saturday afternoon race, his roommate Simon did me. Again, I was unstoppable and won both races.

By now, I guess it was common team knowledge of what happened before the race. Luckily, everyone was discreet about it, and team managers showered me with compliments.

Eric and I had daily video calls, and the poor guy was unaware his cheating girlfriend got laid before each race to perform better. While he enthusiastically raved about my race performance, I felt guilty.

My nightmares were reoccurring, each time slightly different but with the same result that I was losing Eric, whatever I tried.

The only exception was Christmas and New Year. During the holidays, Eric stayed for a few weeks.

It continued until that fateful night of the television show.

***

When Remco switched off the TV, my tears ran down my face.

Team managers were busy on the phone with various institutes like the Dutch Skating Organisation and the Dutch Olympic Committee. They wanted to know what had been going on.

Our press officer was busy trying to hold off the national press. Even international press agencies were trying to get a reaction.

My teammates knew why I had sex with Tim and Simon before the races. They understand the sacrifices we are prepared to make to be able to perform our best. Being a professional athlete is so much different than being a regular person. They gathered around Tim, Simon, and me for support and to make us feel we were part of the group.

My mom called, and she was emphatic and told me she loved me anyway, which was something I needed to hear.

Later that night, I messaged Eric, "Are you okay?"

He probably couldn't sleep because he responded immediately, "No. Feeling terrible. You're okay?"

Thankfully, he hadn't shut me down, "No, worst day of my life. Whatever you think, I only love you."

His answer cut me in half, "Hard to believe."

***

The following morning, I was the main topic in the national news headlines and newspaper articles.

The race was a disaster. Twice a false start led to disqualification.

Out of concern, team managers decided not to let me go to the World Championship. People were afraid it could end my skating career, even though I hadn't violated any Olympic rules.

Instead, they sent me back to Eindhoven and practically ended my season. They hoped if I stayed out of the public's eye, things would go over.

Eric and I kept texting, but the tone of the messages was not good.

Five days after the television show, I was ringing Eric's doorbell, as nervous as I had ever been. He was surprised to see me but let me in.

"Hi Ellen, I guess you want to collect your stuff?"

I had some personal stuff for my overnights at Eric's condo. It was not what I came for.

"No, I'm here to apologize for not being the girlfriend you deserved and dragging you into this mess."

He nodded, went to the refrigerator, got a beer and a soft drink, handed me the soft drink, and asked, "Can you tell me what happened? Will you tell me everything? Like, how did it start?"

I told him. I told him everything. I told him how I loved him. I told him about my high sex drive with my regulars before we got exclusive, my disappointing race performances in October, my desperation, my low self-esteem, how Remco suggested I have sex just before a race, the nightmares, and how panic had struck due to the TV show.

He looked at me with his bright eyes and let me talk. When I was finished talking, he got himself a beer again. I hadn't taken a sip of my drink yet.

"Let me understand this correctly. You made a whole bunch of bad decisions, but it was Remco who suggested you have sex with Tim? Remco, the team manager, who should protect you from making bad decisions?"

"I hadn't seen it this way, but yes, that's how it started."

He sighed, walked to his desk, and returned with a bunch of papers, "These are all letters from lawyers, telling me to keep my mouth shut, that nothing has happened, that I should leave you alone, and forget about this case. What do you think?"

He gave me the letters, and I read them. I had already crushed this guy, but these letters were even worse! They were all threatening Eric to sue him for slander if he would ever bring up this topic.

"Eric, what are you going to do with these letters?"

"I'm so fucking furious. I hate people telling me what to do. I want to hunt those people down and throw them in jail. But I don't want to jeopardize your chance of gold."

He took another sip of his beer, "You're responsible for this mess, but they are ultimately responsible. It was their fucking job!"

He turned and took my hands in his hands, "Ellen, tell me first, what do you want?"